Deadly Pride and Dangerous Secrets
by Always-Obsessed66
Summary: This is an AU sequel to my fic The Untold Truth...Lana is Kahlan's daughter and has been keeping a secret from her mother for about four years...this will be her undoing...(not that anyone cares but both this and The Untold Truth were written for English assignments)... rated T for some graphic themes and death...


I awoke, dripping with sweat. I knew it was getting worse, but my pride stopped me from seeking out help. I was tired yet I couldn't sleep. My headache was back. I should probably take something for that. I checked the time on my phone, it was just after 6. Giving up on getting anymore sleep, I decided to write in my journal. I know, an eighteen year old still writing in a journal? What can I say? Ever since that stupid fifteen year old decision, I find my journal more reliable than any of my friends.

_12/11/14 6:02am: My headaches are becoming more frequent and much worse. I know that my body won't be able to take much more of this. I still regret that night. Sometime I wish it would just end._

_-Lana Amnell_

Speaking of headaches, I never took that Advil did I? I shake it off, feeling too lazy to get up and get something. Flipping back through the pages of my journal I remember the events of that night…

It was late. I know that's really cliché but hey it's the truth. As stupid as it was I had accepted Tommy's invitation to a party. After all what's the point of living in California if you don't have a little late night fun? He took me upstairs. 'It'll be fun,' he had said, 'Everyone does it.' A tear ran down my cheek as I remembered what we had done next. A soft knock on my door brought me out of my thoughts. Zedd poked his head in; I already knew what he was going to say.

"What are you still doing in here? Breakfast will be ready in," my grandfather looked at his watch, "10 minutes!" I rolled my eyes at him.

"I'm not really hungry." I mumbled, knowing what Zedd's reaction would be.

"What do you mean you're not hungry?! You didn't eat your supper last night!" I knew he wouldn't give up until I went with him to breakfast.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming. Geez." I said, closing my journal in frustration. I followed my grandfather to the dining room.

My parents seemed surprised when I sat down at the table next to them.

"Well, look who decided to join us," my 'father' said trying to lighten the mood that has slowly but surely been settling over our family these past few months. I just rolled my eyes.

"I can't even remember the last time you didn't say something stupid." I mumbled quietly. My mother still heard me of course.

"Lana," she scolded lightly, "your father just-" That was it, the final straw. I was sick of them lying to me.

"HE'S NOT MY FATHER!" I screamed making everyone jump. My 'father', Richard, lowered his head.

"How long have you known?" He asked me, sounding ashamed.

"Four years," I said, feeling a bit dizzy, I should sit down. "I don't care if you raised me, but you will never be my father."

"Lana, you'll learn," he argued, "it may take a few years but you'll learn to accept me." I shook my head.

"I may not have a few years." I said solemnly. Everyone looked at me.

"What do you mean you may not have a few years?" My mom asked me, clearly worried for my safety. I flashed back to the night Tommy told me; in a text of all things.

My phone buzzed. I checked the screen, it was Tommy. 'You might want to get yourself checked out' it read. 'Y' I sent back, wondering what he could possibly be talking about. 'I just got back from my physical and they did a blood test, I have AIDS' I had screamed at him. A few months later, the disease killed him.

"Lana?" Zedd dragged me out of my thoughts yet again. Everyone was looking at me expectantly.

"Tommy gave me HIV." I finally admitted, after keeping it a secret for almost four years.

"What! When?" My mother practically shouted.

"Um…'bout four years ago." I said, counting it out on my fingers to be sure.

"It was at that party wasn't it." Richard stated more than asked.

"Yeah," I just wanted to get this whole thing over with so I could go back in my room, watch a movie maybe. "But it's not what you think. We didn't…do…have…"

"Sex," Richard finished for me, sensing my discomfort.

"Yeah, we didn't do that. We…we became 'blood siblings'. I got it from his blood." I expected them to scream at me, disband me from the family or something, but all I got were sympathetic looks.

"So, you mixed your blood with your boyfriend to fit in." My mom summarized.

"Well, not exactly," I sighed, "we didn't mix each other's blood…we drank it."

"You did what?!" Zedd screamed, looking like he was about to puke.

"We cut our wrists and drank each other's blood." I didn't blame him for gaging, it even disgusted me and I'm the one who did it. "About a month later Tommy texted me, saying he had AIDS and that I should get myself checked out. I ignored him."

"Why?" Mom asked, tears were slowly, snaking down her cheeks.

"Because it's my burden," I looked her in watery eye, "people should carry their own burdens." With that I excused myself to go to my room and write in my journal.

One week later my mom took me to the doctor.

"Kahlan and Lana Amnell." The nurse called. Mom and I got up and followed the nurse into the doctor's office. They ran a bunch of blood tests and stuff like that, I don't really remember much of it, and it was kind of a blur. By the time we got back to our condo, I had like five prescriptions and a bunch of pamphlets about HIV/AIDS. The doctor had said that my Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) had, like I already guessed, progressed into Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). He also talked to my mom in private about something; I'm assuming they talked about how long I had left to live. If the pamphlets were correct I'd guess that I won't be celebrating Christmas next year…

Kahlan closed her daughter's journal and set it in her casket. A Christmas funeral…Lana would have liked that…being surrounded by family on Christmas, instead of being buried alone underground. Lana would've liked that…she would've liked that…


End file.
